Friday, July 30, 2010

We'll still be best friends when it all turns to dust

this song makes me monumentally happy. listen, you'll feel it too =)
free download thanks to rcrdlbl



Excuses - The Morning Benders

You tried to taste me
And I taped my tongue to the southern tip of your body
Our bones are too heavy to come up
Squished into a single cell of wood

Aah, aah

And I made an excuse
And you found another way to tell the truth
I put no one else above us
We'll still be best friends when it all turns to dust

Aah, aah

Dum du-dum du-dum du-dum du-du-dum
du-dum du-dum du-dum du-du-dum
du-dum du-dum du-dum du-du-dum
(continued)

We are so smooth now
Our edges are beaten driftwood whittled down
Old bodies slip when they make love
We'll mine our sparks to shoot us above

Aah, aah

the black keys concert review

I am going to start this review with a quote from the film Kinky Boots (2005). "You are making two and a half feet of irresistible, tubular sex." The same could be said of The Black Keys except replace "feet" with "hours".

I saw The Black Keys this past wednesday, July 28th at the central park summer stage. The Morning Benders opened for them. The Morning Benders are adorable. Like stick figures with guitars. I'd never actually listened to them before but I'd definitely heard good things about them and I know they've been playing a lot of shows this summer; apparently they released a cd last month.. They were really good. The songs were all different enough (a pet peeve of mine with artists i don't already know) and I was really impressed that these kids were so skilled. Seriously they look like they're all about 15. I couldn't corroborate that in the brief google search I just did. They wanted people to sing along and they said they'd be hanging out at the merch tent to make new friends and I would've gone if I hadn't been so close to the stage and excited for The Black Keys. Bottom line: they're adorable, I'm going to start listening to them, and I'm seeing them again at lollapalooza.

Then there was a pretty long break before The Black Keys. I was grateful for my cold Corona and the sun was setting in everyone's eyes but it was totally worth the wait. The Black Keys have such a sexy sound and great stage energy. Clearly they were born to be stars and have lived up to it. (side note: Dan Auerbach had a haircut and scruffy beard and apparently is really attractive under all his usual hair) They played a super long set, too, so I really got the bang for my buck, so to speak. Halfway in, a bassist and keyboarder came up to play songs from the new album, Brothers, and I wasn't as enthused. The bass was good but I didn't feel the keyboard fit or maybe the sound was wired awkwardly, I don't know what it was but that segment didn't last very long. They wrapped up with some megahits like "Your Touch" and "I Got Mine", left, came back for a two-song encore, and left the stage again. I made a run for the exit but I heard them starting a second encore right after I left. Seriously this was a long show and they had another one right after at Terminal 5 so I was happily surprised they just kept playing. On the other hand, I see a lot of artists who have one or two albums out so of course going to a show where the artists have a bevy of material to choose from is going to last longer.

In short, if you don't listen to The Black Keys, you MUST. They are a blues/rock duo from Ohio and uniquely talented among the live acts performing for this generation. A great concert gives you that tingly feeling you get right before you first kiss someone. I felt like that when I saw The Black Keys at Bonnaroo and I felt like it again on Wednesday. Youtube em, buy em, go to their concerts! Irresistable, tubular sex.


Wednesday, July 28, 2010

a state of active boredom

I feel like nobody has an excuse to be bored. There is always something to do unless, of course, you're in some windowless concrete room. The way I feel is different. I'm bored but not for want of activity. I am cooking and reading and going out all the time but something's missing. Perhaps it's wanderlust, yet I feel happy in my current environment. I think I may start doing some creative writing. I just finished a "#1 New York Times bestseller!" and although the protagonist went through enough interesting stuff, it was simply not well written and the plot hung together like a bunch of cotton squares parading as a quilt. In short, I feel I can do better. Then I will also have physical evidence of my productivity to show my dad and reassure him that I am, in fact, serious about my education. I wish I could be in the woods right now and go exploring with a flashlight. The terror of the unknown would be exhilarating. If a bear walked outside my house right now I'd never hear it over the air conditioning. How boring.

Tuesday, July 27, 2010

Hold a hand for cover

Free thanks to circlesquaretriangle =D
I've had this on repeat for the past couple days I can't get it out of my head. I do have an issue here though which is that i'm really unsure of the chorus. Help?



Fader - The Temper Trap

I'm in transit
Floating stranded on this boat
And I pledge my self-allegiance
To a better night's sleep at home
And the sweet, sweet sun's coming down hard
The sun's coming down hard
It burns the bones
So hold a hand for cover
Hold a hand for cover
Hold a hand for cover from harm

Talk don't change a thing
Oh it's fading fader
Words don't sink they swims (is that honestly the line? cause that's how it sounds to me...)
Oh it's fading fader


Here comes the Sun, originally uploaded by bsb4life.



Bless this mess
We tried our best
That's all that we can do
While the angles walk
With the lonely ones
In the cold rain to rescue you
And this fabled world's coming down hard
The world's coming down hard in all our homes
So hold a hand for cover
Hold a hand for cover
Hold a hand for cover from harm

Talk don't change a thing
Oh it's fading fader
Words dont sink they swims
Oh it's fading fader

Talk don't change a thing
Oh it's fading fader (I'm in transit)
Words dont sink they swims
Oh it's fading fader (__)
(repeated to end)

Saturday, July 24, 2010

It's my dream but it's yours if you want it too

NEW CUT COPY! free download on circle.square.triangle! Any help correcting the lyrics particularly on the last part would be greatly appreciated. I just winged it...



Where I'm Going - Cut Copy

Take my hand if you know what I'm going through
Take my hand if you know where I'm going
All you need is a dream and a lover, too
All you need is a dream and a lover

Oooh-oh, yeah, yeah, yeah, woo
Oooh-oh, yeah, yeah, yeah, woo

Take my hand cause I know what you're going through
Half the time I have no way of knowing
It's my dream but it's yours if you want it too
It's a journey that's yours if you want it

Oooh-oh, yeah, yeah, yeah, woo
Oooh-oh, yeah, yeah, yeah, woo
Oooh-oh, yeah, yeah, yeah, woo
Oooh-oh, yeah, yeah, yeah

Love sets you free
I'm in the hands of dreams
Love's the fantasy
To what they will agree

Oooh, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Oooh, yeah, yeah, woo
Oooh-oh, oooh, oooh-oh, oooh, oooh, oooh


, originally uploaded by ffîon.

Or am I in between?

Free over at rcrdlbl. I really like the way this track sounds particularly the "oh"s and simple, satisfying chord progressions. It's perfect for zoning out in public places to.



When I'm Small - Phantogram


, originally uploaded by zionseven+.



Oh oh oh oh, oh oh oh oh

Lucy's underground
She's got a mouth to feed
Am I underground
Or am I in between
Lucy's underground
She's got a mouth to feed
Am I underground
Or am I in too deep

Show me love
You've got your hand on the button now
Showin' love
You've got your hand on the button now

Oh oh oh oh, oh oh oh oh
Oh oh oh oh, oh oh oh oh


in fantasy, originally uploaded by TAT_hase!.



Lucy's underground
She's never coming back
Am I still alive
Or has the love gone bad

Take me underground
Take me all the way
Bring me to the fire
Throw me in the flames, oh

Show me love
You've got your hands on the button now
Showin' love
You've got your hand on the button now

I'd rather die
I'd rather die
Than to be with you

Oh oh oh oh, oh oh oh oh
Oh oh oh oh, oh oh oh oh
Oh oh oh oh, oh oh oh oh
Oh oh oh oh, oh oh oh oh


, originally uploaded by beaf.

Sunday, July 18, 2010

the best lolla afterparties

So my favorite guys from Chicago, Midnight Conspiracy, are going to be at THREE lollapalooza afterparties with three awesome artists headlining: Chromeo, MSTRKRFT, and Digitalism.

(Check out my earlier post about Midnight Conspiracy here)


So here's where I'm gonna be:
August 6 (click here to buy)



August 7
I couldn't find a flier for this event but here's info from Midnight Conspiracy's myspace:
Lollapalooza Afterparty w/ MSTRKRFT + Wolfgang Gartner @ Vision
632 North Dearborn Street
Chicago IL 60654
9:00 PM - 5:00 AM

August 8 (click here to buy)



Get your tickets now and see you there!

Saturday, July 17, 2010

Invested enough in it anyhow, to each his own

Free download from Broken Bells if you sign up for their mailing list
totally worth it



The High Road - Broken Bells

We're bound to wait all night
She's bound to run amok
Invested enough in it anyhow
To each his own
The garden needs sorting out
She curls her lips on a bough
I don't know if you're dead or not
To anyone

Come on and get the minimum
Before you open up your eyes
This army has so many heads
To analyze
Come on and get your overdose
Collect it at the borderline
And they want to get up in your head

Cause they know and so do I
The high road is hard to find
A detour in your new life
Tell all of your friends goodbye


, originally uploaded by Julien Legrand.



The dawn to end all nights
That's all we hoped it was
A break from the warfare in your house
To each his own
A soldier is bailing out
And curled his lips on the barrel
And I don't know if the dead can talk
To anyone

Come on and get the minimum
Before you open up your eyes
This army has so many hands
Are you one of us?
Come on and get your overdose
Collect it at the borderline
And they want to get up in your head

Cause they know and so do I
The high road is hard to find
A detour to your new life
Tell all of your friends goodbye


, originally uploaded by Julien Legrand.



It's too late to change your mind
You let loss be your guide
It's too late to change your mind
You let loss be your guide
It's too late to change your mind
You let loss be your guide
It's too late to change your mind
You let loss be your guide

Monday, July 12, 2010

Separating seasons and I think of you

Today sometimes a morning is one year old!

I am a much bigger Cut Copy fan than my blog may lead readers to believe. I've seen them live, I have all their music, they are the second-most listened to artist in my library only after Passion Pit because I used to listen to "Sleepyhead" on repeat every night to get to sleep. If you eliminate that one song, it's safe to say Cut Copy is my favorite music. Thus, it is more than appropriate that this song be my post to celebrate one year of this blog's existence.

At this point I feel pretty comfortable with what sometimes a morning is about. My main question now is does anyone I know read it? I know at least two people have told me they check it now and then. This question has me combing my page hits trying to see if anyone clicked over from my facebook page or from some other site that may imply that we're friends.



Nobody Lost, Nobody Found - Cut Copy

Always crashing to the ground
Always from the same height
Always falling down
And if you start a fashion now
Make me a believer
The seas will part somehow

Staring at a silver sun
I'm blinded
I can see you almost in my town
Nothing but a sea of blue
Separating seasons
And I think of you

Oh, oh, oh, burning in the face of love
Oh, oh, oh, burning in the face of love

Walking through a paper town
Counting all the reasons to burn the others down
Seems like every chance I take
Brings me ever closer to being far away

Black out, keep your colors dim
So nobody can see you
And let the ghost back in
Leave me heading to the ground
Always from the same height
And always falling down

Oh, oh, oh, burning in the face of love
Oh, oh, oh, burning in the face of love
Oh, oh, oh, burning in the face of love
Oh, oh, oh, burning in the face of love

(Building, building, building gone)
(Bulging bones are hard to hold)
(Mold is forming on the ground)
(Nobody is lost, nobody is found)
(Building, building, building gone)
(Bulging bones are hard to hold)
(Mold is forming on the ground)
(Nobody is lost, nobody is found)

Oh, oh, oh, burning in the face of love
Oh, oh, oh, burning in the face of love
Oh, oh, oh, burning in the face of love
Oh, oh, oh, burning in the face of love

Sunday, July 11, 2010

bear in heaven concert review

I saw Bear in Heaven at south street seaport here in nyc the other day. I love how much free stuff there is to do in the city seriously. Well, we got there at 6 so we heard the opening acts. The dj was so unremarkable i don't even remember who it was. They played a steady stream of chill indie worthy of urban outfitters. Then came some two-person surprise act who i'd never heard of but who some people in the pitchfork crowd were excited for, even though they played a two song set. whoopee. then Zola Jesus played. I've never listened to them and every song sounded the same to me. Needless to say, I didn't dig it and an hour was torture. We were super grateful drinking beer out of plastic cups seems to be legal there.

Finally, Bear in Heaven came on. I'm honestly confused as to who is actually officially in the band versus who was on stage but there were only three of them instead of the purported four. Jon Philpot is certainly a character. He wore suspenders, an awesome mustache, and an infectious boyish grin. Having only listened to two Bear in Heaven songs before this concert (thanks to free last.fm downloads), I was really surprised when he started singing. His speaking voice is deep but his singing voice is clear and high and deliciously odd. The concert was great. Straightforward chill indie rock. It was worth sitting through Zola Jesus for, to say the least. The crowd was 95% hipsters. My favorite person was for sure this old man to the right of the stage who spent half the concert skipping and spinning like a whirling dervish, half standing in place doing a shaking dance reminiscent of a seizure. I was also super amused when the drummer used a maraca as a drumstick. My only complaint really was the lighting for the show. There was mostly back-lighting which is hell for the light meter on my analog camera. There were some cool strobes though that seemed to be triggered by the drums in certain songs. But, yeah, I want photos of the band's faces, not their silhouettes. Can we get a spotlight at south st seaport?

All-in-all I recommend at least getting those free last.fm downloads and checking out Bear in Heaven. And if you have a chance, go see them in concert. They're touring the US mostly with Twin Sister and then Europe for the rest of the summer and then back to the US where they're even opening for Crystal Castles at a couple of shows.



Wednesday, July 7, 2010

I feel you beating in my chest

wow over 2000 hits and just before the one year anniversary of starting this blog (July 12). I need to figure out what awesome tune/photos i'm going to put up to celebrate the anniversary. maybe i'm being a little silly but I DONT CARE hah!
Anyway, I super love the Kitsuné Maison Gildas and Masaya Tokyo compilation album which is where i discovered that jupiter track i posted the other week. well, here's another gem from the mix.
I HIGHLY HIGHLY RECOMMEND playing the whole mix which you can do free on kitsuné's soundcloud (merci!)



Your Body Is a Machine (Zebra and Snake Remix) - The Good Natured

It's only a matter of time
Before all the springs in the mind
Will start to break like you have broken me
There's silver in your lungs now
And all I care about is shapes
And all I care about is colors
You said your body is a machine
It will break like you've broken me
And i can't forget the words
Forgotten promises are completely worthless

I feel you beating in my chest
I feel you screaming in my lungs
You are heavy but your beat's in time
I feel the crimson on my lips
And now my stomach's lined with gold
I'm broken-hearted but my beat's in time


, originally uploaded by petite.nordique.



We are influenced
By self-love and benevolence
Narcissism's overwhelming
Vanity is quite exhausting
Self-indulgent, hedonistic
Blame it all on your upbringing

I feel you beating in my chest
I feel you screaming in my lungs
You are heavy but your beat's in time
I feel the crimson on my lips
And now my stomach's lined with gold
I'm broken-hearted but my beat's in time

I feel you beating in my chest
I feel you screaming in my lungs
You are heavy but your beat's in time
I feel the crimson on my lips
And now my stomach's lined with gold
I'm broken-hearted but my beat's in time

Thursday, July 1, 2010

empty daydream that keeps playing on repeat

I know this has been out for a little while and i actually had the lyrics all written up as soon as it was released but i was stumped about what flickr photos to post with it. Finally, i think i have it at least somewhat sorted out. The reason it was particularly important for me is not just because i love neon indian, but also because i have awful bouts of insomnia and a generally screwy sleeping schedule, as you know if you read this blog regularly. This song has become my anthem on those long nights; it's so haunting and beautiful. As is often the case, I am the first to post these lyrics online so they may be really inaccurate and i welcome corrections. thanks!
Free download over at wholeoats

EDIT: whoa weird how the video has masks and i posted a picture with a mask. that was pure coincidence. Awesome! It's rare that a video overlaps with the video I create in my head that much




photo by øndun

Sleep Paralysist - Neon Indian

talking cryptograms you know as well as day
keeping to themselves the words they'll never say
something you don't know
something i don't know
they don't know
shaping mirror eyes that might as well be drawn
i'll be a stranger by the time i'm up at dawn
someone you don't know
someone i don't know
we don't know



don't sleep
over you when i'm awake so just
don't sleep
in the morning this will all seem fake so
don't sleep
over you when i'm awake so just
don't sleep
in the morning this will all seem fake so
don't sleep
over you when i'm awake so just
don't sleep
in the morning this will all seem fake so
don't sleep
over you when i'm awake so just
don't sleep
in the morning this will all seem fake so



won't you lose yourself in momentary grace
it washes over you the bruises that we trace
not for you to keep
not for me to keep
nor them to keep
empty daydream that keeps playing on repeat
each passing moment more decayed, less complete
we don't weep
and i don't weep
they won't weep


r., originally uploaded by d.rimms.



don't sleep
over you when i'm awake so just
don't sleep
in the morning this will all seem fake so
don't sleep
over you when i'm awake so just
don't sleep
in the morning this will all seem fake so
don't sleep
over you when i'm awake so just
don't sleep
in the morning this will all seem fake so
don't sleep
over you when i'm awake so just
don't sleep
in the morning this will all seem fake so

tonight I want to see you in the dark

what's the best way to start off july? with some brand new chromeo of course! this track was just released two days ago AND IT IS SO SEXY so i just had to post the lyrics right away! I can't wait to see them at Lollapalooza. According to Modular, Chromeo has a new album "Business Casual" coming out September 10 are you excited? you should be. anywho, you can get "Don't Turn The Lights On" free at Impose Magazine =)
I'm illustrating this song with only one flickr photo from sensing-owls because she has such great stuff! i'm sure you'll agree
(side note: how did i get to 1916 hits when i just topped 1000 2 months ago? woohoo!)



Don't Turn the Lights On - Chromeo

There must be another way
When she's gone to a better place
And loneliness will hurt you if you can't get through the night
Then the moment starts to fade
And dawn is just an hour away
I feel she's watching over and it gets me through the night

It makes me wonder what you'd say
It's taking me back to the month of May
When I watched you do it (all night)
I'm thinking back to what we'd shared
In many ways I'm already there
And I watched you do it

Don't turn the lights on
Cause tonight I want to see you in the dark
Don't turn the lights on
Cause tonight I want to see you in the dark
Don't turn the lights on
Cause tonight I want to see you in the dark
Don't turn the lights on
Cause tonight I want to see you in the dark



Another walk to take
Another lonesome evening spent without you there
And only those who hurt you
Will say patience is a virtue
And it's been so long
And I can't think about it
No, I can't figure it out
It's just the way you're feeling
Every time that you're appealing
Leaves no room for doubt

It makes me wonder what you'd say
It's taking me back to the month of may
When i watched you do it (all night)
I'm thinking back to what we'd shared
In many ways I'm already there
And I watched you do it

Don't turn the lights on
Cause tonight I want to see you in the dark
Don't turn the lights on
Cause tonight I want to see you in the dark
Don't turn the lights on
Cause tonight I want to see you in the dark
Don't turn the lights on
Cause tonight I want to see you in the dark

Don't turn the lights on
Cause tonight I want to see you in the dark
Don't turn the lights on
Cause tonight I want to see you in the dark
Don't turn the lights on
Cause tonight I want to see you in the dark
Don't turn the lights on
Cause tonight I want to see you in the dark